Language Barriers
by ArAnCaR No. 6
Summary: Even the vastest of armies, the most undefeatable of enemies, nor the most devastating of times can't seperate them. So why should a language barrier do so? Frienship fic. No pairings.


**Second D. Gray-Man fic, although this time it's not humor, it's kinda serious. Well, there's some humor, but that's as it advances :) No pairings though! I can't do that sort of thing! ****Kinda LaviYuu friendshippy at first, but begins to tilt towards the ever-famous trio :) Because no D. Gray-Man friendship fic is ever complete without the entire Baka Trio XD**

**Summary: Even the vastest of armies, the most undefeatable of enemies, nor the most devastating of times can't seperate them. So why should a language barrier do so? **

**Disclaimer: -Man does not belong to me. If it did... well... things would go differently.**

**xXx**

Kanda Yuu first arrived at Headquarters when he was still only a child of nine, ten at most, and little was known about the new exorcist. All that was known, however, was that he was an equipment-type, silent from Lord knows what trama must have befallen, and that the boy spoke japanese, and nothing else.

No one could even speak to him, for they only recieved a blank stare from dark cerulean eyes that clearly showed he did not understand a single word coming from the other's mouth. At first, one would give obvious signals to their inquiries, and the young asian child's eyes would often widen in realization, small mouth opening to respond in Japanese, a language clearly and completely different from the one used in the Black Order's England Headquarters. Many often twisted their faces in confusion, clueless to the nine year-old's words and Kanda would immediately catch that look, shutting his mouth in retaliation.

What was the use of speaking if you weren't understood?

There wasn't any other exorcists or finders, much less scientists, who were from that particular little island, so there wasn't much anyone could do. Other than Komui and Lenalee, no one else was Asian, the entire organization cluttered with natives from England, the Americas, and even the smaller yet sometimes more forgotten European countries, but there was no one from the country of the Rising Sun, much less one knowledgeable of the language practiced and actively used there. Japan belonged to the Earl now, after all, no one would ever bother to learn the tongue of the country under enemy control. It was simply akin to common sense.

Even if that meant having no contact with a child forever exposed to a bloody war.

That is, until Lavi Bookman came around.

**xXx**

It was about a half-year later, close to late spring, when Bookman came to visit the England HQ, solely for the purpose of recording the newest exorcists introduced to the Holy War, his child apprentice at his heels. Lavi looked around excitedly, visable emerald eye glittering in wonder as he took in the details of the impossibly tall building, vibrant red locks sticking in all directions due to his childish yet short runs to and fro and around his mentor. "This is so cool!" he exclaimed, oblivious to the scolding Bookman was berating him with for not acting like a 'Bookman' should, too lost in his own giddiness as he moved away from the elder. He wasn't even paying attention, having been swiveling his head 'round and around as he memorized all aspects possible of the ancient organization's 'home', when Lavi collided into the head of another of his stature.

Lavi cringed at the sharp bout of pain centered at his forehead, hearing an equal hiss of pain a mere two feet before him. Sure enough, he found another child his age with shoulder-length dark hair the color of azure so different from his own vibrant crimson locks, yet with sparkling cerulean eyes much like his own jade. _'Like shiny jewels!'_ he thought to himself as he smiled cheerily.

"Hi!" was the happy greeting, his grin falling when he noticed that the boy akin to his age did not respond, only blink once in confusion. Lavi frowned, "You can't speak English?" he questioned, a little disappointed when all he recieved was a blank stare. Lavi pouted in distaste, a finger coming to rest on his lip in thought as he tried out some of the few languages he knew to that point.

"Hi," he tried again, and upon seeing no reaction, he tried another, "hola, bonjour, bonjourno, privet, annyeonghaseyo, konnichiwa-"

"_Dono yō ni nihongo o hanasu koto o shitte iru?_ (You know how to speak japanese?)" abruptly flew out of the other child's mouth, a look of utter disbelief written all over his face. The readheaded apprentice blinked, a happy look rising at his success.

"_Watashi wa dono yō ni ikutsu ka no nihongo o hanasu koto o, sukoshi dake shitte iru._ (I know how to speak some japanese, but only a little.)" he admitted, his fingers closing together to show his little knowledge as he blushed a little in embarrassment. The dark-haired boy frowned a little upon hearing that, "_Watashi wa anata o ryūchō ni hanasu koto wa oshieru koto ga dekiru. _(I could teach you to speak fluently.)"

The other smiled fully in response.

"_Wareware wa, mazu ikutsu ka no eigo o shutoku suru hitsuyō ga arimasu._ (We should get some English in you first.)"

**xXx**

"No."

Lavi frowned. "Come on!" he pleaded, "just try!"

"No."

"'No' seems to be your favorite word so far, huh Yuu-chan?" he quietly added with a mocking huff as the aforementioned 'Yuu-chan' gave him an exasperated glare. Both boys were occupying one of the largest tables in the Black Order's library, textbooks upon textbooks flipped to pictures and charts, paragraphs in english, and notebooks open to various words translated from english to japanese and vice versa. "English is stupid," he mumbled, much of his japanese accent still intact despite having over a year and a half of teaching on Lavi's part. The now eleven year-old readhead pouted, "It's only stupid to you because you think you can't get the words right. Come now, you can now understand every word I'm saying, all you have to learn is speaking it and writing it properly!"

...

"No."

**xXx**

"Oi-"

"It's 'hey' Yuu-chan. Remember, we're trying to learn English here."

"_Damatte, Baka Usagi!_ (Shut up, stupid rabbit!)"

"Ah ah ah! In English please~~!"

"Go to hell."

"That's harsh Yuu-chan."

"Shut up."

**xXx**

Kanda gave the paragraph a long look, switching between staring at the typed words, to Lavi's expectant face, and vice versa, an unreadable emotion in the fourteen year-old's eyes. "What is this?" he deadpanned, his English much clearer yet still a little slow and broken despite Lavi's insistance on using contractions. "It's 18th century literature and composition," the future bookman replied, a grin spreading across his face at the look of 'WTF' that came across the japanese boy's face. "Lightera-constama...what?" came the jumbled question. "Lit-er-a-ture, Yuu-chan. You know, reading. And com-pa-si-tion, it's just writing!"

...

"Then why do they not just say to read and to write? Lazy speakers of English!"

"Contractions Yuu-chan, contractions!"

"Quiet you!"

**xXx**

"Read that," Lavi pointed at a series of quotes from a particularly famous play as Kanda stared at it for a few seconds.

" _'__But, soft'_... what the hell does 'soft' mean here? Squishy?" he demanded in disbelief as Lavi stifled a laugh. "No! I'm explain it later, just keep going, you're doing well!" Kanda frowned, blowing a particularly long strand out of his face as he did so, " _'what light through...yonder window breaks?'_... What the hell is 'yonder?'" he mumbled the last under his breath as his slanted cerulean eyes traced over the words, " _'It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon'_ ... what the hell is this? An evil rivalry? And what does this 'Juliet' girl have to do with the friggin moon and sun? The actual sun should fry the dumb girl with it's damn gamma rays or whatever for trying to steal its spotlight!" Lavi's head hit his own copy of the famous playwright's masterpiece, wild giggles erupting as Kanda continued, not noticing the other's reaction or the fact that he was now speaking out loud.

" _'Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she: Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green...And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.'_? ... why the hell is 'art' being used? And of course no fool will wear her damn liver, it's all green! For all we know it's rotten, who the hell would even wear liver in the first place?"

Lavi almost fell off his chair in hysterics. Was Kanda really so oblivious?

" _'It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were!'_... Huh? Is this guy position retarded or something, or is the Juliet girl blind? _'She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?'_? That doesn't even make sense, that's what's that! _'Her eye discourses; I will answer it.'_, is her eye on some sort of track or something that derailed? And how in the world do you answer that? Just because it's in the shape of a golem doesn't mean it is one, Romeo!"

The future bookman covered his face with his hands, body shaking as he steadily lost control of his laughter. He didn't know if he could take it any longer. His stomach ached so badly that holding in any more seemed impossible. Yet Kanda didn't seem to be stopping quite yet.

" _'I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks'_, well no shit Prince Charming, you're freaken peeping at her! _'Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return.'_, what does that even mean? Business? What the heck are you implying, huh Montag? _'What if her eyes were there, they in her head?'_ Of course they were in her head you mentally-challanged man! That's where they are! But of course, you wouldn't know, you think her eyes freaken derail anyway! Talking about liver-dresses and so. _'The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven.',_ well aren't you a tacky romantic you bastard? _'Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night.'_ WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME BIRDS SANG AT NIGHT YOU TWAT? HAVE YOU HEARD THEM IN THE MORNING? _'See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!__'_ Aha! So you ARE a pervert! Might as well wish yourself into being the damn nightgown while you're at it! Hell, you're already peeping on her, why not run up and give her face a smack, huh? Oi! Usagi!" Kanda finally ceased his ranting as he threw the copy towards the crackling exorcist, "This is crap!"

Lavi lost it, falling backwards in wild laughter.

"Yuu-chan! It's Shakespeare for goodness sake! Romeo&Juliet is a classic!"

"Well Romeo's a peeper and Juliet's freaken blind! That's no classic!"

"You interpreted it wrong!" he giggled crazily.

"I did not! I just interpreted it correctly!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

**xXx**

"Wow Yuu-chan, you're all set!" Lavi exclaimed in surprise, shocked that it's already been over five years since he first began teaching the other exorcist the once foreign language. Seemed like such a short period of time, but he nevertheless enjoyed it. Teaching another person was fun, especially when he taught Kanda all about the reproductive systems and intimate male-female interaction types.

Kanda cursed and screamed in Japanese for three weeks straight.

Kanda stared at him in silence, almost as if in thought. "_Anata wa watashi no mōshide o wasurete shimatta._ (You forgot about my offer)," he deadpanned, the smile once on Lavi's face melting off. "Pardon?" he asked, puzzled. Why was he speaking to him in Japanese? The sixteen year old frowned, Kanda knew that from the years of English, he had gotten increadibly rusty with the little Japanese he knew, so why was he abruptly asking him questions in his Asian dialect? The japanese teen gave a disappointed sigh, "_Anata wa orokada_ (You're stupid)," he mumbled as Lavi pouted. "You're evil. You know I don't really understand Japanese anymore!"

"_Tsugini kono toki, watashi wa nihongo o oshiete ageyou._"

"What does that mean?"

"That's your first lesson there."

**xXx**

**xXxPresent TimexXx**

Allen was quite surprised one day, to find both Lavi and Kanda sitting together on a table in a remote area of the library, a mass of textbooks and open pages filled with the fanciest of calligraphy printed horizontally, others half filled with japanese and chinese characters, the remaining with English that he could not read from the distance. The japanese eighteen year-old was tapping at something from a notebook, his mouth moving as if he was sounding something out. Lavi, on the other hand, had a look of exasperation printed on his face, his mouth also moving in attempts to pronounce whatever Kanda was telling him to. Naturally, out of curiosity, the white-haired Brit moved closer for a little of the conversation.

"Extend the syllable! Your japanese is coming out retarded!"

"I'm trying!"

"Liar!"

"I don't remember being this hard on you with English."

"You just want me to bust out the Kanji, don't you?"

"..."

"That's what I thought."

"Way to bring me down, Yuu-chan."

**xXx**

"Hey, Lenalee," said Chinese girl turned to her quizzical-looking friend as both made their customary trip to deliver coffee for the overworked Science Department, Komui being the only one left. "Yes?" she asked, a little curious herself of the puzzled expression on Allen's face, who frowned a little after clearing his jumbled question as they entered the well-known cluttered office of the Black Order's Supervisor.

"Is Kanda teaching Lavi japanese?" he asked as the two approached the desk, where Komui was currently slumped over. He jumped up at the same time as his sister from surprise upon hearing Allen's question, both him and Lenalee turning to look at him incredulously.

"Kanda's teaching Lavi japanese?" they both yelped, eyes wide as Allen blinked. "You didn't know?" he deadpanned, "I just saw them in the library doing so. I didn't know either, so that's why I'm asking!" Lenalee turned to look at her brother for clarification, finally setting his customary bunny coffee mug on the corner of the desk, one of the few empty spaces. "Did you know this, Nii-san?"

Komui smiled, "I don't think I've mentioned this, but when Kanda-kun was first brought to join the Order, he was still just a little kid. Around nine or ten years-old, and he didn't speak or understand a speckle of English," Allen's eyes widened.

"He didn't? BaKanda?" he asked incredulously. It couldn't possibly be the same prick that spoke perfect English now! For goodness sake, he doesn't even think he's heard him speak in japanese other that the usual 'Moyashi', 'Baka Usagi', and a few other curses. The Chinese man nodded. "Kanda-kun knew nothing other than japanese, it's his native tounge, after all. When one of us would talk to him, or try to, he would just stare blankly, so we'd kinda have to play Charades with our words. When he'd finally understand what we were refering to, he'd start responding in japanese, but of course, we didn't know what he was trying to say, so he'd just fall silent again."

"Wasn't there anyone around to translate?" the parasitic-type exorcist asked, settling the empty tray he had in his hands atop a stack of documents as Komui shook his head no, lifting his mug up for a sip. "Japan's under the Earl's control, it's technically enemy grounds. No one even wanted to try to learn a smidget of the language, to be honest, although I believe it was because a lot of others were wary of Kanda-kun because of his origins; he was born in enemy territory, after all. So we had to continue signing everything to him for over half a year, until..." here, Komui trailed off, a slight frown on his face. "Until what, Komui-san?" Allen questioned, having become absorbed in the story as the older male's face twisted into a look of disgust.

"My coffee's not hot anymore."

"Komui-san! (Nii-san!)" came two combined and exasperated whines as said person jumped a little out of the sudden scolding. "Alright, alright," the older male pouted in distaste, "I'll finish the story! Anyway, we were like that for half a year, and when Bookman came to record the names of the most recent of exorcists, he brought Lavi with him. Lavi, too, was just a little thing, not much taller than Kanda-kun to be truthful. According to Bookman, the reason the two even met in the first place was because Lavi was being sugar-high, running around in circles."

"What does that have to do with them two knowing each other now, Nii-san?"

"Hold up, Lenalee. I'm almost at that part. Well, turns out Lavi was running around in circles, swirls, half-circles, triangles and every direction and shape you can think of. He wasn't watching were he was going, and he ran directly into Kanda-kun, who was running away from the Matron."

"The Matron?" Allen asked, shocked at Kanda's past act of bravery. Escaping the Head Nurse was like a suicide mission! "What made him run?" he questioned. Here, Komui snickered. "Bathing in Japan is different from bathing here in Europe," he explained, "the Matron believed Kanda-kun would catch a cold with that type of custom, and tried to quickly bathe him herself. Of course, he freaked and ran away. Luckily, he was still fully dressed when he ran head-first into Lavi's own. And Lavi, being Lavi, started to chatter."

"I'm guessing here is where the language barrier came up, right Nii-san?" Lenalee questioned, having taken a seat quite a while ago.

"You guessed right. Kanda-kun had no idea what he was talking about, so Lavi started to say 'hello' in all the languages he knew at the time, until he hit Japanese. Kanda-kun must have been surprised and excited, because the two immediately struck up a conversation."

"Wait," Allen started, a look of disbelief on his face, "Kanda actually kept up a conversation with Lavi? BaKanda did?"

"Believe it or not, yes, he did. We had Lavi translate after that, and within three days, some of us from the science department kept seeing the two together in the library locked up for hours for several weeks. Eventually, Reever popped up the question on our minds, and turns out that Lavi had been teaching Kanda-kun how to speak English for the past several weeks, now years."

"He's still teaching him?"

"No, Kanda-kun's been completely fluent for two years now, and my best guess as to why they're together in the library is that he's returning the favor by teaching him his native tounge. Lavi wasn't ever very good at speaking japanese anyway, so it'll do him some good."

"Returning the favor..."

"You sound jealous, Allen-kun," Lenalee teased, seeing her white-haired friend jump at her voice. "I am not!" he protested, flushing red at her accusation. The Chinese girl giggled as her brother began poking fun at him. "Allen-chan's jealous, Allen-chan's jealous~!" he sing-songed, watching as the young Brit grew a darker red before rushing out of the office, the two siblings' amused laughter trailing from the vast still-open doors. He was not jealous! Sure, he was used to being sent on missions with the Japanese exorcist, but he also did not fail to fight uselessly with him! That was a sign of no jealousy!... right?

Allen let out a huff. 'Why do I let people get to me?' he mentally whined as he strolled into the library without thinking, the sounds of broken japanese coming from between the enormous aisles of books, novels, and textbooks.

"Kono yo no nagori  
Shini ni yuku mi wo  
Tatōreba  
Adashiga harano-"

" 'Adashi ga hara no'."

"Huh?"

"You said 'adashiga harano', it's 'adashi ga hara no'."

"What's the difference?"

"There's a lot of difference!"

"It's just the matter of pronouncing it, Yuu-chan!"

"Who's teaching here, you or me?"

Allen pouted a little at the lack of violence on Kanda's part, something so utterly unlike him as he zig-zagged around the enormous shelves, finding his two comrades still in their prior positions from before amongst the masses of hardcovers and paperbacks. This time, they had a glass of water poured for each, the cool pitcher and a few other stacked glasses resting a safe distance from the piled and binded sheets. Lavi was glaring at an open textbook, bold, thick lines ruling vertically down to form what appeared to be columns, a mixture of hiragana and kanji one after the other in straight little military-like lines as Kanda looked on from the redhead's right a foot away or so away, a copy of the same book open in his lap as he tapped a perfectly arched fingernail to the firm wood surface of the table. Allen could immediately tell that the tapping was not from annoyance, but was simply done to eat at the tiring silence that filled the library to the brim.

It was with that that the Parasitic Innocence wielder pulled up a vacant chair close to the Asian male, plopping down to see what they were working on. Kanda glanced at him once, brushed off the joining presence, and turned cerulean eyes back to the other male.

"Read it again," was all he said as Lavi pouted in disappointment, yet complied either way.

"_Yo mo nagori_  
_Shini ni yuku mi wo_  
_Tatōreba_  
_Adashi ga hara no_  
_Michi no shimo"_

Lavi stumbled a little on the syllables, Allen noted, yet Kanda said nothing, slanted eyes drifting to a random corner as he listened for any mistakes.

_"Hitoashi zutsu ni_  
_Kiete yuku_  
_Yume no yume koso_  
_Aware nare_.  
_Are kazōreba_  
_Akatsuki no_  
_Nanatsu no toki ga  
Mutsu narite  
Nokoru hitotsuga  
kon_-"

"Wait," came the abrupt deadpanned interruption as Lavi let out a curse, " 'hitotsu ga', it's hitotsu ga'." Kanda corrected, giving Lavi a look that clearly said _'you should know this you idiot'_. "I still don't see the difference!" the future bookman sulked as Allen took a glimpse at a corner of what seemed to be romanji peeking from beneath a slim poetry book, reading out the words from curiosity.

"Yo no naka o  
nani-ni tatoemu  
asabiraki  
kogoiinishi fune no  
ato naki gotoshi."

The young Brit frowned a little, having understood nothing as he switched his gaze from the abandoned sheet and back to the older exorcists.

Who were staring at him, one in mild surprise, and the other in astoundment(sp?).

"Where the hell did you learn how to say all that?" Lavi gawked as Allen blinked. "Huh?" came his confused reply as he pointed out to the sheet he had been reading out from, "I just read from there." Kanda's gaze followed the fifteen year-old's slim finger directing to the romanji he had taught Lavi two months prior. Or at least thought he did.

"I think the Beansprout has a natural gift for reading romanji," came the Japanese boy's conclusion as Lavi released an elongated 'Ehhh?'. Allen blinked again, still utterly thrown off. Romanji? What the hell was that? Still, the silver-eyed Destroyer of Time was not given another opportunity for thought as the Second Exorcist flipped through a seperate slim hardcover, stopping at a page as he held out the book, pointing to a passage.

"Try reading that, Beansprout," was his only order as Allen stared owishly at the print.

"Mishi hito no  
keburi o kumo to  
nagamureba  
yuube no sora mo  
mutsumashiki ka na."

Lavi shut his textbook, throwing it into one of the piles as he pouted in artificial anger. Kanda, on the otherhand, gingerly closed the book, shaking his head gently so that his bangs lightly shifted from the movement, a look of disappointment written on his face.

"What took you three weeks to get, the beansprout read by himself in three seconds. Shameful, Lavi, really just shameful."

"You're cruel Yuu-chan! I can't believe you put me down like that, Allen!"

"I didn't know it took you long to understand that!"

"The Sprout has a point, Usagi."

"Oh, now you're both turning against me!"

"Who said I was on your side?"

"I didn't know there was a side..."

"The Baka Usagi's hallucinating."

"Cruelty, I tell you! Cruelty!"

Allen laughed merrily at Lavi's display of childishness, freely helping himself to the contents of a paperback that caught his eye. Then, just for the hell of it, he turned to the japanese male, and whilst giving him a sweet smile, asked for a favor he knew would just rile his redheaded friend up.

"Think you can teach me these 'kanji' the book is talking about?"

"Way to steal my teacher!"

"Fine, it's not as if the Baka Usagi's going to understand it anytime soon."

"Hey!"

**-X-x-X-**

"Each friend represents a world in us,  
a world possibly not born until they arrive,  
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."  
~ Ana Nin

**xXx**

**A/N: Quote may or may not make sense, but I still really like it :3**

**Second DGM fic, be nice and don't flame about my format! It's the way you know that the fic was specifically written by me, just in case there's any hackers around *shifty eyes* But seriously, it's my unique style, and I intend on keeping it that way, I adore being unique :D**

**Please review! A nice happy face would be enough! :)**


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